Audrey Thompson was named the interim Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. The ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by Evanston seasonal lakefront workers led to Lawrence Hemingway, former Director, being forced to resign.
Hemingway was heading the parks division in July 2020, when he received a petition signed to his name and that of several other city officials. The petition claimed that there was a culture at work of sexual harassment, racism, and discrimination.
Hemingway was blamed by the outside law firm that investigated the allegations of sexual misconduct. He was the subject of a complaint about sexual harassment filed by one his employees in 2018. This led him to withdraw from the lifeguard petition.
Hemingway quit three days prior to the report’s publication, despite being recommended by the law firm to take disciplinary action against him.
Thompson has been the city’s community services manager since January 2020. This includes overseeing the youth- and young adult senior service programs. She is a graduate in social work and adjunct professor at Northeastern Illinois University’s Social Work Department.
Thompson moved to Evanston in 2010, and began working for the City in 2010. In an email interview with the RoundTable, Thompson stated that her appointment was unexpected.
She said that although I didn’t expect to be appointed interim director I was honored to have the opportunity serve the Evanston community and lead the department through this transition.
Thompson stated that she is the interim director and will continue to build on the progress made by the city as it implements the recommendations of the law firm that investigated this scandal at the beachfront.
She said that we must ensure that all employees feel safe in our work environment. I look forward working with our staff in order to meet or exceed the recommendations by Salvatore Prescott Porter and Porter and restore trust and confidence to the department. This starts with ensuring that all city employees have a safe, healthy, and valuable work experience.
Salvatore, Prescott, Porter and Porter, a law firm that was hired by the city for an investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct in the lifeguard program, recommended that the city overhaul its lakefront operations and urged officials to discipline those responsible.
The report, which is 379 pages in length, emphasized the need for the city to take responsibility and make improvements to prevent sexual misconduct. The report recommends that the city increase lakefront supervision, improve the training and hiring of lifeguards, and officially prohibit the use or discipline of physical training.
Thompson claimed that she was abused sexually by a close family member as a child. She does not take any form exploitation lightly.
Thompson stated that this is a serious issue and people should feel safe wherever they go. If they feel unsafe, they should feel empowered and supported in reporting their discomfort.
Thompson joins six other interim and acting city officials: Kelly Gandurski, interim city manager; Luke Stowe (acting Deputy City Managers); Dave Stoneback (acting Deputy City Managers); Michael Rivera, acting director of administrative services; Richard Eddington, interim police chief; and Edgar Cano (acting director of public works).
